U.S. patent application number 09/808088 was filed with the patent office on 2002-09-19 for paint ball reservoir connector with collet.
Invention is credited to Sullivan, Dennis J. JR..
Application Number | 20020129805 09/808088 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25197816 |
Filed Date | 2002-09-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020129805 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sullivan, Dennis J. JR. |
September 19, 2002 |
Paint ball reservoir connector with collet
Abstract
A paint ball gun reservoir connector for connecting a paint ball
reservoir to a paint ball gun. The reservoir connector includes a
connector nipple with a collet disposed at the upper end of the
connector nipple. The lower end of the connector nipple is attached
to the upper portion of the paint ball gun, immediately above the
breach portion of the paint ball gun. The paint ball reservoir has
a downwardly directed reservoir nipple which is securely clamped to
the upper end of the connector nipple by the collet.
Inventors: |
Sullivan, Dennis J. JR.;
(San Dimas, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SHELDON & MAK
9th Floor
225 South Lake Avenue
Pasadena
CA
91101
US
|
Family ID: |
25197816 |
Appl. No.: |
09/808088 |
Filed: |
March 14, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
124/49 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41B 11/52 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
124/49 |
International
Class: |
F41B 011/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A paint ball gun reservoir connector for connecting a paint ball
reservoir to a paint ball gun, the paint ball reservoir having a
downwardly directed reservoir nipple, the reservoir connector
comprising: (a) a connector nipple having a sufficient interior
diameter to allow the serial passage of paint balls through the
connector nipple one at a time; and (b) a collet disposed on one
end of the connector nipple, the collet being capable of accepting
and securely clamping the reservoir nipple to the connector
nipple.
2. A paint ball gun comprising: (a) a breach chamber; (b) a
reservoir connector disposed above, and in communication with, the
breach chamber; (c) a paint ball reservoir disposed above, and in
communication with, the reservoir connector; wherein the connector
nipple has an upwardly facing collet and wherein the paint ball
reservoir has a downwardly disposed reservoir nipple, the reservoir
nipple being disposed within and firmly clamped to the collet.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to gas-fired guns and, more
particularly, to gas-fired paint ball guns.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Competitive games using gas-propelled paint ball guns have
become extremely popular.
[0003] A continuing problem with such paint ball guns has to do
with the connection between the paint ball gun and the paint ball
ammunition reservoir.
[0004] Typically, the paint ball reservoir is a large lightweight
plastic container disposed above the breach portion of the paint
ball gun. The paint ball reservoir is typically connected to the
paint ball gun by clamping it to a connection nipple which projects
upwardly from the breach portion of the gun. This connection method
has several disadvantages.
[0005] First of all, tightening down on the clamp frequently
"flattens out" the downwardly projecting nipple at the base of the
paint ball reservoir. The term "flattens out" refers to the lateral
distressing of the downwardly projecting nipple so that the
cross-section of the downwardly projecting nipple is no longer
circular, but is instead oval in shape. Flattening out this nipple
narrows the outlet opening of the paint ball reservoir and may
inhibit the free downward gravitation of paint balls from the paint
ball reservoir into the breach.
[0006] Secondly, if the paint ball reservoir outlet nipple is not
rigidly clamped (so as to minimize problems with the "flattening
out" of the nipple opening), the paint ball reservoir may not be
rigidly retained on the paint ball gun.
[0007] It is therefore typical for users of paint ball guns to
retain paint ball reservoirs on the connection nipple using duct
tape or other artificial means. The use of duct tape, however,
makes it difficult and awkward to replace paint ball reservoirs in
the field under competitive conditions.
[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for an improved paint ball
reservoir connection system which is relatively inexpensive and
easy to use, but which avoids the aforementioned problems in the
prior art.
SUMMARY
[0009] The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a paint
ball gun reservoir connector for connecting a paint ball reservoir
to a paint ball gun, wherein the paint ball reservoir has a
downwardly directed reservoir nipple. The reservoir connector
comprises (a) a connector nipple having a sufficient interior
diameter to allow the serial passage of paint balls through the
connector nipple one at a time, and (b) a collet disposed on one
end of the connector nipple. The collet is adapted to be capable of
accepting and securely clamping the reservoir nipple to the
connector nipple.
[0010] The use of the collet at the upper end of the connector
nipple has been found to provide an effective connection device
which rigidly retains the paint ball reservoir to the paint ball
gun without "flattening out" the reservoir nipple.
DRAWINGS
[0011] These features, aspects and advantages of the present
invention will become better understood with regard to the
following description, appended claims and accompanying figures
where:
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a paint ball gun
reservoir connector having features of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the paint ball gun reservoir
connector from FIG. 1, this view showing each of the elements fully
assembled; and
[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional end view of the paint ball gun
reservoir connector illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line
3-3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment
of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This
discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the
invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in
the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.
[0016] The invention is a paint ball gun reservoir connector 10 for
connecting a paint ball reservoir 12 to a paint ball gun 14. The
reservoir connector 10 comprises a connector nipple 16 having a
collet 18.
[0017] The reservoir connector 10 is suitable for use in a paint
ball gun 14 having a paint ball reservoir 12 disposed atop the
paint ball gun 14. The paint ball reservoir 12 has a downwardly
directed reservoir nipple 20 with an outside diameter which is
typically between about 3/4 inches and about 2 inches, most
typically between about 7/8 inches and about 11/8 inches, and an
inside diameter between about 5/8 inches and about 1 inch, most
typically between about {fraction (11/16)} inches and 3/4
inches.
[0018] The connector nipple 16 has a lower end 22 and an upper end
24. The lower end 22 is adapted for attachment to the upper portion
26 of a paint ball gun 14, such that the lower end 22 of the
connector nipple 16 is in communication with the breach chamber 30
of the paint ball gun 14. The lower end 22 of the connector nipple
16 can be attached to the upper portion 26 of the paint ball gun 14
by any suitable connection method, such as by welded, threaded,
snap-on or press-fit connection.
[0019] The connector nipple 16 typically has an inside diameter
between about {fraction (11/16)} inches and about 3/4 inches, so as
to be suitable for allowing the gravitation of paint balls from the
paint ball reservoir 12 into the breach chamber 30.
[0020] The connector nipple 16 is typically made from a metal, such
as from an aluminum alloy or steel. The connector nipple 16 can
also be made from other suitable materials, such as from a suitable
rigid plastic material.
[0021] At the upper end 24 of the connector nipple 16 is the collet
18. The collet 28 has a base 34 which is externally threaded. The
base 34 has a plurality of radially spaced-apart longitudinally
slits 36 which allow the uppermost portion 38 of the base 34 to be
squeezed inwardly.
[0022] The collet 18 also comprises a nut 40 which is internally
threaded with tapered threads. The internal structure of the nut 40
is adapted to cooperate with the external structure of the base 34,
so that, when the nut 40 is threadedly disposed on the base 34 and
the nut 40 is tightened down onto the base 34, the nut 40 acts to
compress the uppermost portion 38 of the base 34 inwardly. By this
action, the uppermost portion 38 of the base 34 is uniformly
reduced in internal diameter.
[0023] The internal diameter of the base 34 is between about 1 inch
and about 11/8 inches when the nut 40 is not attached to the base
34. After the nut 40 is attached to the base 34 and the nut 40 is
tightened down on the base 34, the internal diameter of the upper
portion 38 of the base 34 is typically reduced by between about
{fraction (1/16)} inches and about 1/8 inches.
[0024] The invention can be conveniently used to attach a paint
ball gun reservoir 12 to a paint ball gun 14. The reservoir nipple
20 is first placed into the base 34 of the collet 18 while the nut
40 is loosely disposed about the base 34. After the reservoir
nipple 20 is disposed within the base 34, the nut 40 is tightened
down onto the base 34. By this action, the internal diameter of the
upper portion 38 of the base 34 is reduced, thereby uniformly
clamping down around the reservoir nipple 20. The reservoir nipple
20 is rigidly retained by the collet 18 with minimum tendency for
the reservoir nipple 20 to "flatten out."
[0025] The tendency of the reservoir nipple 20 to "flatten out" can
be further reduced by the use of a tubular stiffener insert 42. The
stiffener insert 42 is made of a material having greater stiffness
than the lowermost portion of the reservoir nipple 20. The
stiffener insert 42 typically comprises an elongate tubular portion
44 and an end flange 46. The tubular portion 44 typically has a
circular cross-section with an outside diameter chosen to
substantially match the inside diameter of the reservoir nipple 20.
The end flange 46, on the other hand, has an outside diameter which
is greater than the inside diameter of the reservoir nipple 20. By
this design, the stiffener insert 42 nests within the distal-most
portion 48 of the reservoir nipple 20, with the end flange 46
preventing the stiffener insert 42 from sliding up into the paint
ball reservoir 12.
[0026] The stiffener insert 42 is typically press-fit into the
reservoir nipple 20 before the reservoir nipple 20 is disposed
within the collet 18.
[0027] The stiffener insert 42 is typically made from a lightweight
metal, such as an aluminum alloy. Other metals, such as steel, can
also be used. Also, other suitably stiff materials, such as a stiff
plastic material, can be used.
[0028] Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent
that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be
resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of
the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described
hereinbelow by the claims.
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